WATCH: Day 5 with no water for Northcliff residents
For nearly a week now, Northcliff residents have been without water, with Ward 88 councillor Nicolene Jonker and Johannesburg Water still working continuously to resolve the situation.
Northcliff residents are now sitting high and dry without water for five days. Dry taps are a norm in the City of Johannesburg, but Northcliff residents have had to bear the brunt, due to the water outage which started on April 6.
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Johannesburg Water (JW) provided an update on X on April 10, highlighting that the team has been working continuously on the repair of a stuck and broken valve in the inlet chamber to the Northcliff tower. Although there is still some significant work remaining, they are committed to restoring water supply. Unfortunately, there is no estimated time of completion, but all necessary resources have been deployed. They assured residents that updates will be shared, and an alternative water supply has been made available to the affected areas.
Ward 88 councillor Nicolene Jonker stated that the situation is unacceptable, and residents should not be without water for days. “The operational team on-site has worked under immense pressure, and the fault lies with higher-level decision makers.”
Jonker emphasised that JW relies on infrastructure that dates back to the 1970’s. She questioned management directly when they were on site on April 9. “Why was a relatively stable system shut down, effectively water shedding, and why do we keep straining an already fragile system? I have called for a full investigation.”
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Alongside several residents, she asked how the valve in question became so stuck. “If it was open, who closed it, and how, and with what machinery, and most importantly – are there any other valves that may have been overlooked?”
@caxtonjoburgnorth JW team attends to a stuck and broken valve in the inlet chamber at Northcliff Tower, as Ward 88 councillor Nicolene Jonker visited the site on April 9 to assess the situation #johannesburgwater #ward88 #northcliff
JW’s technical team has confirmed that the system is equipped with non-return valves and additional control valves located at both the tower and the pump station. These mechanisms ensure that water flow from the reservoir to the tower can be isolated. Therefore, the removal of the valve pipe will not compromise the safety or functionality of the system.
Jonker assures her residents that she is pushing for better updates, more tanker availability, and urgent assistance for the elderly and vulnerable, with transparency. She concluded to her residents that she apologises for the delay. The water crisis has taken priority, and she remains steadfast to address their concerns going forward on the Northcliff tower.
This is a developing story with updates to follow.
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